Sunglasses

What sunglasses do you wear ?

  • Scheyden

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Randolf Engineering

    Votes: 4 6.6%

  • Oakley

    Votes: 5 8.2%

  • MauiJim

    Votes: 4 6.6%

  • Revo

    Votes: 1 1.6%

  • Other

    Votes: 47 77.0%
  • Total voters
    61
  • Poll closed .
jdwatson

jdwatson

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
943
Location
Cary, NC
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Display name:
JDW
Greetings all !

I've been in search for the perfect sunglasses for flying. The frames have to be thin enough so that my headset still seals and not too heavy. Has anyone every had any trouble wearing polarized lenses ? My MauiJim's are polarized and I've never had any trouble seeing avionics or otherwise. Unfortunately, the bridge on my MJs keep breaking. I think it's the headset squashing the frames a bit and stressing the bridge.

B)
 
Ray-bans for me. Amber tint, polarized.

During training, I had a hard time differentiating red and white on the VASI/PAPI at various airports in the area. Bright sunlight combined with the amber tint made the red/white not that far apart on my personal color spectrum. I had a gray tinted, non-polarized pair of cheap sunglasses during training to avoid that.

Since then, I've lost those glasses and switched back to my Ray-bans. The color thing is a non-issue since my sight picture has improved and I generally don't use the lights much anymore.
 
I can't believe that I forgot to list Ray-Ban as a poll choice... grrrrr. Too bad I can't edit the poll after it starts
 
Ray Bans, when I wear them. My headset hampers taking the glasses on and off, so I often don't wear shades. I wear contact lenses but have to use readers for map work. My medical certificate contains a clause that requires me to have readers in my possession (for close work). I often use my copilot for the reading work.

There's an FAA position, I'm told, against wearing polarized glasses. Something I've read indicates that there may be problems with the polarization and laminated windshields.

Jim
 
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I get the cheap clipons with netural tint down at the local drug store. They work for I have to wear the bifocals and got tired of switching between my clear prescription glasses and sunglasses. It works out great and I carry several pair.

John J
 
Ten dollar shades for me. I can't afford nice shades when flying costs so much.
 
Serengeti's with Driver's Gradient lenses. Had to try on a few different models before finding one that didn't stick out too far from my temples. If it's super-bright out I'll switch to a pair of Ray Ban's with dark gray lenses, but I usually have trouble reading the panel with the Ray Bans - lenses are too dark.
Stay away from polarized lenses, since many instrument faces are polarized glass, you may not be able to read them from some angles.

Jeff
 
I wear my Randolphs if any for flying. Bayonet temples of thin metal, slip easily under the headset and seals don't seem to be a problem. The gray or green lenses are great for contrast. If they're good enough for the military, probably good enough for the rest of us! (Just got a new pair with matte hard chrome frames, my others are gold).

When not flying, I tend to wear Ray Bans. They work well on the Harley (polycarbonate lenses on mine).

UV protection is mandatory, and especially when flying! A good pair of shades properly treated can last years.....B)
 
Serengeties with the vermillion lens...UV coated on both sides...best sunglases I ever owned.

Don't get polarized...you won't be able to see most of the new electronic displays...well unless you don't mind turning your head 90 degrees.
 
deafsound said:
Ten dollar shades for me. I can't afford nice shades when flying costs so much.
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Might want to trade an hour or two of flying now for your eyesight later. Out of the oldtimers I've worked with out at sea, the no/cheap sunglasses guys are experiencing the more serious sight problems, mostly cataracts but one guys goin on full retinal detachment.
 
Rx RayBans, rectangular shape, rose/grey lenses.

Recently went flying and forgot I was wearing my Carrera wrap frames with dark, almost black lenses. Turns out they worked pretty well for flying too. Non-polarized.
 
Photocromatic lenses on my regular glasses. Get darker in the sun and fairly clear indoors. I don't have to remember my sunglasses, they're always on. Not perfect, but I've been happy with them for years.
 
Keep in mind that "Transition" brand precription lenses, if you should consider these, react to UV light to darken. The windscreen blocks most of the UV light and the lenses darken very little.
 
I'm with Steve on this-I usually pick up a pair of Wal-Mart specials. I don't think I've ever paid more that $15 for a pair of sunglasses. That way when I lose them or one of the kids sits/steps on them I'm not out much. I do look for ones that have 100% UV protection.
 
Re: Transition Lenses

Do they make them in plastic lens yet? If not, for some Rx the glass can be thick and heavy.

I don't know if the "technology" has gotten better but for me the transition lenses were either too dark or not dark enough.

I generally like my magnetic clip ons that attach to my Rx glasses. I can put them on or take them off with one hand without having to take off my headset.

Len
 
Since switching to contact lenses (at my optometrist's recommendation to reduce the image disparity between my -5 left and -9 right corrections which makes depth perception hard), I still need reading glasses. When I first made the change, I found myself wearing both my sunglasses and my reading glasses in flight, which my wife said looked very weird. After a brief search, I found a pair of $20 reading sunglasses (brand name is "MADE IN CHINA") at the sunglasses outlet in Rehobeth DE. They have +1.50 diopter reading inserts like bifocals, except the main portion is, of course, zero correction. They work great. They're nonpolarized, and that's something to watch out for -- the faceplates on most new avionics, especially the GPS and map displays, are polarized, and usually cross-ways to your sunglasses.

There are a few places you can get these on the internet, but of a very limited selection, and, of course you can't try before you buy, and the fly-before-buy rule for headsets applies equally to glasses -- until you try them on, you don't know how they fit your head. My research suggests that the best place to find the reading-insert bifocal sunglasses is a sunglass store in a sunny resort area -- real popular among the beachgoers so they can read on the beach.
 
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I'm starting to look at the Scheyden Flip-Up Titanium, they look a lot like my MauiJim's but without the polarized lens and I can flip them up if needed.

My eyes (or maybe it's my brain) are sensitive to lens imperfection. I get a lot of strain if the lenses aren't perfect. So, I've always had to go with expensive sunglasses. I've found that Oakleys and MauiJim work well for me. I tried Randolf, great lenses but they were so heavy compared to other that I've worn.
 
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jdwatson said:
I'm starting to look at the Scheyden Flip-Up Titanium, they look a lot like my MauiJim's but without the polarized lens and I can flip them up if needed.
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I did some research on the Scheyden glasses...I was considering getting the frames for my Rx...I thought they were very very expensive...frames alone were more expensive then the lenses, frames and magnetic clip ons for my Rx glasses.

Len
 
I prefer Blue Blocker clip ons because I wear prescription glasses and don't want to buy prescription sun glasses. The trouble is it's hard to find clip ons of any sort that fit a woman's smaller lens eye glasses. They are mostly made for men's large size lenses.

Jeannie
 
I used to fly with Ray-Bans good looking light weight polarized etc. I still use them but on the ground. about a year and a half ago I was given a pair of Weather Watchers. They type adverstised by the Kings. They are awesome for spotting traffic. Even on a cludiy day I think the traffic spotting ability is better than my naked eye. Its still a pain to read the LED Tach on the Tiger though.
 
Serengeti, and I fly my butt off. They stay nice if you treat them nice and keep them in a case. Non-polorized by my AME's advise. I fly both full glass cockpits and old steam guages. It's the best choice I have made so far.

Brent
 
Brent Bradford said:
Serengeti, and I fly my butt off. They stay nice if you treat them nice and keep them in a case. Non-polorized by my AME's advise. I fly both full glass cockpits and old steam guages. It's the best choice I have made so far.
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I've got a pair of Serengeti's but have found them heavy and very uncomfortable on my nose.
 
Len Lanetti said:
Re: Transition Lenses

Do they make them in plastic lens yet? If not, for some Rx the glass can be thick and heavy.
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I believe my current pair is plastic. They sure scratched easily. :mad:
 
Maverick said:
The trouble is it's hard to find clip ons of any sort that fit a woman's smaller lens eye glasses.
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Jeannie,

Next time you get new Rx frames be on the look out for ones that come with matching magnetic clip ons. I have two pair and think they are the best option for Rx glasses wearers. All of the despensing chains have these frames.

I've seen two versions. One has spots where the temples connect for the magnets to attach. I have these and they make it easy to get the glasses on and off. The other version has the attach point near the nose bridge. The attach points were too small for me to easily attach the sunglasses.

Len
 
I just got a pair of Panoptx. They are designed for motorcycle or ski use. They are wrap around and can come with a windseal between the frame and your face. Very good for keeping the glare out of the sides. I got a prescription pair and they've worked well with a headset.
 
Ghery said:
Photocromatic lenses on my regular glasses. Get darker in the sun and fairly clear indoors. I don't have to remember my sunglasses, they're always on. Not perfect, but I've been happy with them for years.
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Me too. Photobrown.

Judy
 
Len Lanetti said:
Serengeties with the vermillion lens...UV coated on both sides...best sunglases I ever owned.

Don't get polarized...you won't be able to see most of the new electronic displays...well unless you don't mind turning your head 90 degrees.
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It all depends on which direction the lenses are polarized. Mine work just fine UNTIL I turn my head 90 degrees.
 
AirBaker said:
It all depends on which direction the lenses are polarized. Mine work just fine UNTIL I turn my head 90 degrees.
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All polarized sunglasses are vertically polarized to reduce low angle reflected glare (lake surface etc) which is horizontally polarized. For reasons I cannot fathom most LCD displays were mounted with the outer polarizer oriented horizontally which meant that they would look dark and/or wash out when viewed with polarized sunglasses. More recently many LCD manufacturers have wised up and started insisting that the LCD be chosen so that the polarization is vertical when mounted and these displays look fine when viewed through polarized sunglasses as long as you don't turn your head sideways.

I have wondered why they don't put a "diffuser" layer on top of the LCD's to scatter the polarization allowing them to be viewed through polarized lenses from any angle. I suspect that this would dim the output too much.
 
I haven't had any trouble viewing the KLN94, Garmin 530 or my 96C with polarized sunglasses. I love the glare reduction, but it would suck to find out that in the "next" plane it won't work.
 
Maverick said:
I prefer Blue Blocker clip ons because I wear prescription glasses and don't want to buy prescription sun glasses. The trouble is it's hard to find clip ons of any sort that fit a woman's smaller lens eye glasses. They are mostly made for men's large size lenses.

Jeannie
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Blue Blockers? Really? I wore those a lot for a while - for driving, in pre-flying days, - until I had headaches because the optical quality is so bad. I have bought some for cheap at Walgreens when I needed something in an emergency. I still had trouble with them.

I like Serengeti drivers and Maui Jims. Jann broke my Maui Jims when they got caught in the hinge of the trunk of the car in Oshkosh less than a year after had the lenses replaced because they fell out of pocket in the hangar and I pulled the plane over them.

Jann got a pair of Serengeti's from an eBay store on my recommendation and loves them. She visited a Sunglass Hut to see which brand and model she wanted first. The clerk was very accommodating writing down the model number, knowing exactly what she was doing. :rolleyes:
 
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lancefisher said:
All polarized sunglasses are vertically polarized to reduce low angle reflected glare (lake surface etc) which is horizontally polarized.
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I guess I should have mentioned that it depends on how they are polarized in relation to the screen.

I'll have to go back and try my Garmin Pilot III in the landscape vs horizontal mode.

I have a 2 pairs of Revo's. The older ones, for whatever reason, have a different polarization than the newer pairs. I can swap back and forth, but my newer pair has had zero trouble with the LCD screens. Of course, until I turn my head sideways.... :) I must say that the polarized glasses provide me with magical aircraft spotting ability.

Fluke in manufacturing? Different renegade design? Who knows why they differ. :)
 
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Steve said:
Rose-colored glasses?

hmmmm...
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Well, I don't wear them all the time. Usually it's the ones with the black lenses. I have two pair, one has "rhinestones." ;)
 
RX Photogreys, my regular glasses. I wanted randolphs but never got around to getting a pair. And the Scheyden's are way to expensive.
 
Len Lanetti said:
Re: Transition Lenses

Do they make them in plastic lens yet? If not, for some Rx the glass can be thick and heavy.

I don't know if the "technology" has gotten better but for me the transition lenses were either too dark or not dark enough.

I generally like my magnetic clip ons that attach to my Rx glasses. I can put them on or take them off with one hand without having to take off my headset.

Len
Click to expand...

Yes, they come in plastic. However, as my optician correctly pointed out when I switched from glass to plastic, the plastic transitions, unlike the glass photochromic lenses, will not work very well behind automobile windshields or an aircraft's plexiglass windscreen.
 
Black plastic wrap-around Ray Bans. I love them. Very lightweight, comfortable, way more so than metal frames. I wear contacts and have moderately high near-sightedness. Wouldn't mind a Rx pair, but I fear the lenses would be too thick.
 
lancefisher said:
I've got a pair of Serengeti's but have found them heavy and very uncomfortable on my nose.
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You were probably wearing the "Top Gun, Maverick" type! :) I just bought a new pair last week b/c Dawn stole my old ones. They are super light. I barely feel them on. They look similar to the MJ's or they have ones that rap around now.

Brent
 
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